by Con Template
“Which reminds me, I quit as your assistant,” Yoori announced smugly.
Oh how she wanted to quit for so long.
“You can’t quit. I fire you,” Tae Hyun countered, getting back into the normalcy of their bickering. Even after a heartfelt conversation, they were still the same couple.
“You can’t fire me. I do not deserve to be fired. I’ve made your life easier. Who dealt with all the miscellaneous stuff?”
His expression mocked her. “What do you actually do?”
“I wash the dishes.”
“And I told you the other night that I rewash them because you suck at scrubbing.”
“I do laundry.”
“No, I do laundry. You just close the lid and take credit for it.”
She started to get flustered. “I…I help with administrative gang stuff.”
“Your handwriting is like chicken shit. I have to secretly take my own notes to know what’s going on. As far as I’m concerned, it was like I was your assistant.”
Oh wow. She did suck as an assistant.
“Sucker,” she drawled, pinching his nose. “That’s what you get for falling for your employee.”
She laughed when he shook his head at her, turning away from her and blushing like a tomato.
“Anyway, can we go inside now?” Yoori asked when the wind picked up.
“Why? I thought you liked the snow?”
“Um, because I’m not wearing a jacket or shoes and my deliciously plump ass is freezing right now.”
Tae Hyun gave her a blank, unimpressed stare. “You’re really good at bed talk, aren’t you?”
Yoori snorted at his passive insult. “Hurry up and take me back inside before I break up with you.”
Tae Hyun raised his brow. “What the hell? Why are you abusing the privileges already? I can’t believe you just used that as a threat. It took me forever to convince you to be my girlfriend and now you’re threatening to break up with me?”
“That’s right, baby,” Yoori cooed jokingly, laughing as she leaned in and kissed his jawline.
“I probably should’ve thought things out better before I made that big speech about finding Paris with you,” Tae Hyun voiced bitterly, already melting under her kiss. He picked her up and carried her bridal style into the living room. “Now I’m stuck with you through thick and thin.”
“Loser-face,” Yoori giggled, falling onto the couch.
Tae Hyun settled beside her. He covered the purple throw blanket over their bodies. He wrapped himself over her and laid his chin above her head. Both shook from the remnants of snow on their skins. They were soon warmed from the fireplace and the comfort of being indoors.
“You’re not going to strip down to your towel?” Yoori asked suggestively, tracing her finger down his chest. She moved closer to him. “I promise I’ll rip it off this time.”
“You little perv. Was that why you agreed to be my girlfriend? So you can reap the benefits?”
Although Yoori smiled, there was no veiling of her fear. They haven’t changed as a couple but their future was still uncertain.
“I’m still afraid,” she admitted meekly. It was the honest truth. No matter how excited she was that they were finally together, she was still afraid.
His eyes professed the same concern. “I am too.”
“But you’re worth it,” Yoori assured, tightening her embrace around Tae Hyun. “You’re the only one I would do this for.”
“You’re the only one I would do this for,” Tae Hyun agreed. He kissed her again and ran his fingers through her hair. The kiss was shrouded with fire and passion. It brought the most blissful of pleasures to her lips. He wasn’t kissing her as Tae Hyun, he was kissing her as her boyfriend.
Finally her boyfriend.
“No one said finding Paris would be easy; they only said it would be worth it.”
These words echoed in Yoori’s mind as she rested her head on Tae Hyun’s chest, never in her life feeling like she belonged with someone more. She knew as she laid with Tae Hyun that there were going to be countless obstacles in their way. The world they were in was just waiting to rip them apart. She had no idea how they were going to get through this – if they truly had the strength as a couple to get through this together. It was going to be hard. It was going to be so hard that Yoori wondered if she truly had the power to go through all the hardships to come. It wouldn’t be easy and that knowledge in it of itself continued to frighten Yoori. She was almost lost in another world of uncertainty when she felt Tae Hyun caress the bare skin on her shoulder. He touched her and all her fears vacated.
Staring into the rich tone of his brilliant brown eyes, Yoori smiled at the fact that she was still in Tae Hyun’s arms. She was still in the arms of the one who stole her stubborn heart.
“You’re worth all of it,” he reminded her delicately.
Yoori smiled and leaned forward. She gave him three quick pecks on his lips.
“This isn’t a dream, right?” she asked, casually grabbing a handful of his bicep.
“No. We’re finally together.” He narrowed his eyes onto the big chunk of bicep she was pinching when she asked her question. “And I appreciate the fact that you’re always pinching me instead of yourself whenever you ask that question.”
She laughed guiltily. She released her grip and grinned sheepishly at Tae Hyun. Her eyes had become drowsy.
“Are you ready for what’s to come?” she asked, listening closely to the beating of his heart.
“I think so,” Tae Hyun replied, closing his eyes before he placed a tender kiss above her head. “Are you?”
“I hope I am...”
Putting her worried thoughts aside for that night, Yoori allowed the joy of being with Tae Hyun to overtake her. She ignored the sinking feeling in her gut as his breath warmed her skin. She ignored the trepidation in her nerves as Tae Hyun’s enrapturing cologne soothed and embraced her. Sleep soon beckoned them and Yoori wished that they could freeze time and remain in this blissful moment forever.
The storms were coming and she knew that. She knew that she was in for a world of pain, tears, agony, heartaches, and anything else that would arise from trying to find Paris with Tae Hyun in a world where blood streamed through snow like water. She knew that they were living on borrowed time…but she had no idea how quickly they were going to have to pay for all the time they borrowed.
She had no idea how quickly things would change once she woke up the next morning.
Finding Paris would definitely be worth it, but the unforgiving storms to come would make it damn near impossible for them to find.
“You won’t only have to face your demons. . .”
25: Killing Demons
Huff…
Huff…
Huff…
Claps of thunder boomed over the dark horizon as she plunged the sole of her boots into the muddy grass. Her legs trembled beneath her, begging her to stop.
Treacherous rain clouded her vision, drenched her hair, devoured her clothes, and inundated the entire world beneath her yet she continued on, blood that didn’t belong to her seeping from her clenched fists.
Her lungs were struggling for air, yet she paid no attention to it.
She had to hurry.
She kicked down a door and burst into the dark room. Her heart hammered brutally against her chest. She looked from left to right. Only shadows surrounded her. Her frantic eyes focused on the room at the further end of the abandoned hall.
While fiercely holding on to the item in her bloodstained palm, she kicked another door down. The door nearly flew off its hinges. Jumping and passing over several steps, she landed on the seventh step and continued to run.
Huff…
Huff…
Huff…
Darkness…darkness everywhere.
The storm continued to echo in the far distance as she lunged onto the ground. She fought through spider webs and dust before reaching a brick in the wall. Her heart throbbed in her ears. She knee
led on the ground. She pulled out the brick, revealing a hollow space within the yellow stained wall.
Panting quietly, she held out her trembling hand. It was too dark to see it, but she knew exactly what she was holding. She could still feel the strings of blood adorning it.
57…
Red-hot tears threatened to mist her eyes while she took a moment to ponder its value. Anger. Scorn. Hatred. Disgust. All these emotions ripped through her, drowning her. No longer able to stand it, she threw it into the hollow space. She filled the brick in that space, blocking off any knowledge that the wall was disturbed.
No one else could know...
Just as the distant thunder roared outside, she rose to her feet, sprinted out of the room, sprung out into the hall, and flew into the awaiting storm. As if anticipating her return, the dark sky illumed with lightning, revealing the spacious lawn she was running on and the splatters of blood staining her dark clothes.
No one could know where she hid it. It would be her secret; one that she would take to her grave if she had to.
Huffing and puffing, she continued to run despite the violence of the weather. She continued to run despite the pain and desperation tearing through her.
I’m doing the right thing, she told herself. I’m doing the right thing. There’s no other choice…
Yoori woke up with a quiet gasp after she felt a chill slither up her spine. Her heart drummed against her chest. Her dreary eyes surveyed her surroundings in momentary confusion. What the hell did she just dream about? Yoori couldn’t remember much…just that in the dream, it was really dark, rainy, cold, and there was a lot of running. Too much running and too much anxiety.
Yoori sighed to herself. She hated her dreams.
She nuzzled into her pillow. It took her awhile to realize that she wasn’t sleeping on her bed and that she wasn’t nuzzling into a pillow. She was sleeping on a couch and nuzzling into Tae Hyun’s chest…her boyfriend’s chest.
Her mood lifted instantaneously. The stress and fear that once coursed through her vacated when Yoori noted that she was safe in Tae Hyun’s arms. They were still sleeping underneath their purple blanket and the waves of icicle lights that glimmered above their ceiling.
What a breathtaking sight.
Butterflies quaked in her stomach at the reminder of what took place the night before. It wasn’t a dream. All of this was still real. She smiled blissfully at Tae Hyun, who was still sleeping soundly. He looked so handsome and he was all hers now.
Unable to help herself, she allowed her fingers to stroke over his smooth face. She was so tempted to just kiss him. As her fingers moved from his cheek, to his jaw and then whispered down to his neck, Yoori’s eyes blossomed when she remembered that she hadn’t given Tae Hyun the birthday gift she bought him.
The diner.
She had forgotten his birthday gift at the diner!
Yoori wanted to smack herself. In the process of rushing out of the diner, she had completely forgotten Tae Hyun’s gift bag on the kitchen counter. She was so angry. How could she forget something as important as Tae Hyun’s birthday gift?
Something clicked in Yoori’s mind. The diner was closed, but she still had the keys. Wouldn’t it be nicer if she went to the diner, got the birthday gift, came back and cuddled with him as she presents the gift when he wakes up? Yoori glanced at a sleeping Tae Hyun.
She smiled at the thought.
It would be quick. She would just drive his Mercedes, fetch the gift and come back before he even knew she was gone. She doubted she would run into any gang members because she only planned on running into the diner for two seconds to get her gift. Worst comes to worst, she would just drive back home if she sensed suspicious people near the diner. What were the odds that she would run into any danger if she was away from Tae Hyun for a couple of minutes? She couldn’t stay under his protective wings forever. She had to do things for herself.
Decision set, she quietly untangled herself from Tae Hyun’s embrace. She lifted herself off the couch and lowered her bare feet onto the cold tiles. She watched cautiously as Tae Hyun moaned a soft protest and shifted on the couch, moving around like a little puppy. It was as though he was searching for her in his sleep.
Relieved that she hadn’t woken him up, Yoori descended into the bedroom where she grabbed Tae Hyun’s white hoodie, put it on and grabbed his keys from the counter. She wore her black boots over her pajama pants and sped out of their apartment.
Yoori noted that it was 4:17 in the morning as she drove Tae Hyun’s Mercedes.
She looked around.
The world was unusually quiet.
Though night had long past, the sun continued to hide behind the dark clouds that floated above the city. Snow had risen to a couple of inches and there were barely any people out on the streets. Yoori shivered despite the strength of the heat eliciting from the car. Something was making her…uneasy. She had long gotten out of the cold so she didn’t understand why she was receiving chills. Yoori sighed, stepping on the gas in an attempt to get to the diner faster.
It’s because you’re up at an ungodly hour and outside in ungodly weather, Yoori sullenly told herself.
Though she was bitter, Yoori was more than encouraged by the fact that she was doing all of this for Tae Hyun. She wanted her first day as an official girlfriend to be a good one, hence the unusual behavior of waking up at an ungodly hour and doing something sweet for him. She smiled to herself again. She was too excited about giving him the gift when he woke up. She was also too excited about jumping into his arms again.
She was so lost in a daydreaming bliss that Yoori hadn’t realized she reached the diner until she nearly drove past it. She hastily stepped on the brakes, placed the car in reverse and carefully backed into the parallel parking space a couple of feet away from the diner. Just as she switched off the headlights and killed the engine, an onslaught of panic came over her.
Like a hawk, her eyes zeroed in onto the diner door.
The door had the “Closed” sign on it.
Uneasiness clawed at her.
Something felt…off to her.
She examined the dark streets. Everything appeared normal. It was quieter than usual, but Yoori attributed this to the cold weather. Everything appeared in order but the simple fact that her stomach was coiling itself in dread was enough to make her wary.
Yoori depressed the auto-lock for the car doors as a safety precaution. She sat in the dark with her Blackberry in hand. She was tempted to run into the diner to just grab the gift, but the better part of her instincts was screaming at her to leave. She could feel it in her tense hands, her shivering skin, the tightness in her chest, and the uneasiness in her gut. Something was wrong here. Knowing very well that her gut instinct had done nothing but serve her well in the past, Yoori was ready to leave when she suddenly heard voices.
On instinct, she threw her back against the leather seat and slid down in an attempt to hide from detectable view. Her heart slowed when she registered that the voices were coming out of the diner. It was only when Yoori craned her neck out did her heart completely stop at the sight of bodies materializing after the voices.
Chae Young.
Chae Young was the first thought that came to Yoori’s frantic mind. Her eyes locked on the men piling out of the diner.
She counted.
One…two….five…eight…eleven…
Eleven…
Eleven men and…and…and…Chae Young?
As if injected with adrenaline, her heart rate raced from 0 to 100. Nausea overcame her while her stomach twisted into unbearable knots. Holding in her gasp with her shaking hand, Yoori instantly speed-dialed Tae Hyun’s number. She kept her eyes solely focused on the men who were disappearing into the dark distance.
She shook uncontrollably in her seat.
It took three rings before Tae Hyun’s voice came over the other line.
“Yoori, where are you?” he prompted frantically. From the sounds of disarray in
the background, Yoori could discern that he was already getting dressed once he realized she wasn’t in the apartment.
“Tae Hyun!” Yoori gasped desperately. She spoke to him, her mind running in circles. “Tae Hyun! I—I came to—to get your present f—from the diner—” She could hear him running out the door. “And I saw eleven men walk out from the diner.”
She inhaled sharply.
Her eyes continued to stay on the group of men who were disappearing into the shadows. They were all dressed in dark colored puffer jackets, jeans, and dark colored beanies.
Her horrified eyes swiveled back to the diner. “Oh my God, I—I think Chae Young is in there and they did something to her! Oh God, Tae Hyun! She’s in there! She’s in there! What do I do?”
She was losing it. The only image in her mind was of her best friend: smiling and helping her bake a cake before hugging her goodbye.
“Yoori!” Tae Hyun shouted, clearly sensing that she was in a state of disarray. “Do not get out of the car! Do you hear me?”
It was clear to her he was running like a maniac down the apartment stairs. He was coming.
“What if she’s hurt?” Yoori trembled like a leaf as she thought about all the possible things they could’ve done to her.
Eleven men and Chae Young...
There was only one possibility that Yoori could surmise and she prayed it didn’t happen to Chae Young.
“I—I have to go in,” Yoori stuttered, already unlocking the door. The men were out of sight and she couldn’t stomach hiding out in the car anymore. Not if her friend needed her. “I have to make sure she’s okay.”
“Yoori, don’t! I’ll be there soon!” Tae Hyun shouted, the heavy wind taking form on his line, making her believe that he was probably running to his motorcycle. “You don’t know if there are still people in there. You don’t even know if Chae Young is in there.”
“I—I have to go make sure she’s okay.” With no more reservations, Yoori hurled herself out of the car, ran into the billowing wind and sprinted toward the diner.
“Yoori! Don—”
“Please hurry,” was the last thing Yoori said to Tae Hyun before she hung up. It was foolish of her to go in by herself, especially if there were still people in there. But she didn’t care. She didn’t give a fuck about anything but her best friend.